


Dearly Beloved

by Skyson



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Daisy POV, Dancing, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Makeouts, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-25
Updated: 2017-08-25
Packaged: 2018-12-19 19:24:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11904570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyson/pseuds/Skyson
Summary: Sometimes putting together a wedding is awkward.And then it isn't.





	Dearly Beloved

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Pippypaleopath](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pippypaleopath/gifts).



> For Pippy, who provided me a plot bunny when I wanted to write Skoulson but couldn't pick an idea.

* * *

 

“So.” Coulson spoke up as he settled into the chair across from her at the table.

“So.” Daisy repeated in greeting, her sigh a little heavier than his had been. It was late, and most everyone else was asleep, but she wasn’t surprised at all to see that he was burning the midnight oil same as she.

“You ever planned a wedding before?” Coulson wondered, and she snorted derisively.

“You kidding?”

“Yeah, me neither.” He wasn’t quite looking at her, not directly anyhow. She had a feeling she knew why.

“Hey,” She called out quietly, urging him to face her. Once their eyes met, she said, “Don’t worry about it. We don’t have to make this anything more than what it is.”

“Right.” His tone was indecipherable.

“I mean, how hard can it be? Maid of Honor and Best Man?” Daisy scoffed, as if it _was_  the easiest thing ever, and she wasn’t actually rather terrified. “We got this.”

Coulson stared at her.

“You want a drink?” Daisy asked, getting to her feet, and he nodded immediately.

“A drink would be great.” He agreed, and as he pulled her tablet across the table closer to him, she grabbed a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses.

“It’s uh, Pinot Grigio,” Daisy informed him, reading the label as she walked back to the table. She took a chair next to him and set the glasses down before opening the bottle and pouring them both a generous amount.

“That’s fine,” Coulson muttered, already distracted by whatever it was he was Googling.

She swallowed a couple of mouthfuls as they sat in silence. It wasn’t a comfortable silence.

“Hey,” She called out again, and he paused swiping his finger across the screen, but he didn’t look up toward her. She told him a little firmly, “Drink some of this wine. Relax.”

He hesitated, but then reached for his glass and took a sip. After swallowing, he drank a larger amount, seemingly appreciating the taste. He purposefully relaxed his shoulders as he swallowed that mouthful, and then looked at her, a mildly apologetic look in his eyes.

“Whatever’s between us doesn’t matter,” Daisy said, gesturing her hand between them for emphasis, “We’re doing this for Mack and Elena. We’ve gotta do the best that we can.”

His expression softened, and he nodded in agreement.

“Of course.” His voice was softer, too. “I…” He sounded like he was about to apologize, but he trailed off.

“Is this going to be weird?” Daisy asked. “Because of you and May?”

He grimaced, managing to look even more apologetic, and embarrassed.

“No, it's not - ”

“Because you kissed.” Daisy reminded him, as if he forgot. He pursed his lips, looking unhappy, but she couldn't tell if that was directed toward her bluntness, or something else. “And I don't know about real May, but robo-May was awfully interested - ”

“It won't be a problem.” He assured her shortly, clearly not wanting to discuss it. She gave him a small shrug and drank some wine, and he followed suit with a much larger pull from his glass.

Well, they were off to a great start.

**———**

 

  
By the time Daisy had found the second bottle of Pinot, they had scoot their chairs closer and were leaning toward one another so they could both peruse the tablet.

Turns out, planning someone else’s wedding was actually a bit of a bonding experience. Whether it was a good one or a bad one remained to be seen, but considering they hadn't snarked at one another in the past half hour, Daisy was leaning toward ‘good’.

The wine definitely helped.

“Okay. So knowing they want something simple, we've got some color themes picked out, we've got Mack’s pastor in the know, and we've decided on a location…” Coulson checked off some of the list she'd written down on a notepad.

“It's a good choice, right?” Daisy mulled over their pick for location, not for the first time.

“It's perfect,” Coulson assured her, leaning close. Probably closer than he'd meant to, but, they were already side by side. And they'd had a lot of wine. “They'll love it, I know they will.”

“Oh,” Daisy thought suddenly, “you should call Joey.”

“Right.” Coulson nodded. “Mack would want him there, and anyway, it'd be good to have some backup…”

“What am I?” Daisy pouted, joking.

“ _Guy_  backup.” Coulson clarified dryly, and she grinned.

“So who would you pick as your Best Man? If it was you?” She wondered, and he looked momentarily off-put by her question.

“I'm not sure.” He admitted eventually, his tone introspective. “I never really…” He shrugged and hurriedly finished, “Even with Audrey, I never considered marriage. The job was always too dangerous.”

“Yeah,” Daisy murmured, fiddling with a corner of the paper, “Same.” She paused, and amended her statement, “Well, at first it was just because I never felt settled enough, you know? I was too young, I wasn't ready… Miles and I were close but I was never… the idea of settling down just eats at me, you know? I get itchy just thinking about it.”

Coulson nodded, as if he understood entirely. And as she looked at him, she thought that perhaps he did.

“We should go up to the cabin at some point and check it out.” Coulson advised gently. “See what needs done."

“Do you think either of them wants a party beforehand?” Daisy wondered. Elena hadn’t mentioned anything to her, not yet anyhow.

“Mack told me he doesn’t, but I’m still thinking about getting some of the guys together and maybe just hang out here with some beer and video games.” Coulson mused, and Daisy smiled and nodded.

“Mack would love that.” She said knowingly. Then she teased, “So, no strippers?” Coulson laughed lightly, and she asked, “Would you have strippers at your bachelor party?”

“No,” He huffed another laugh, looking into his mostly-empty wine glass. “That was never really my style.”

“Yeah…” She mused thoughtfully, in agreement. She got caught up for a moment in memories, thinking of when they’d first ‘met’, and he’d said something very similar. She recalled very clearly how she’d snarked at him, ‘I was _kidnapped_  by your style’. Little did he know, it was in more ways than one.

Her heart tightened a little at the thought of how, comparably, they had been… almost carefree. Coulson had smiled more, back then. She’d had such fiery, naive, thoughts on the world back then.

And they had been partners, in a way. On the same wavelength, very early on. ‘In the dark together’. Yet now, it took a bottle and a half of wine for them to find that same camaraderie. What the hell had happened to them? Not just the individual trials of their lives - but _them_. Their friendship, their partnership. Somewhere along the way it had fractured.

She missed it.

“What?” Coulson wondered, and Daisy realized she’d been staring at him.

“I - nothing. It’s late; I should hit the hay.” Daisy slid her chair back.

“I’ll take care of these,” Coulson gestured toward the wine and glasses.

“See you tomorrow?” Why had that come out as a question?

Coulson gave her a small smile and nodded, and slid her tablet toward her as she stood up. She nodded as well, picking up the tablet and leaving the kitchen before she said something else stupid.

Like maybe how much she missed him, missed _this_  with him. It ached too much to look at him anymore tonight, though, and not the good kind of ache. She’ll feel better after she sleeps the wine off.

**———  
  
**

 

It turned out that Joey’s boyfriend’s sister worked at a catering company, and she was more than happy to provide the dinner for the wedding. Joey was stoked, of course, and though Daisy didn’t know the details, Coulson told her that he was a huge help for him.

True to the bride and groom’s request, they made sure to keep the whole thing simple and small; other than Joey and Kevin, the only other attendees were the rest of the team and the Koenig’s. Colors were chosen and clothes were rented, and once the bachelor and bachelorette ‘parties’ were finished, Coulson and Daisy headed to The Retreat to finish getting it ready for the main event.

They’d already been up a few times, cleaning up any dust or damage that had been left behind from …earlier adventures.

Little by little, she and Coulson regained some of that camaraderie that they had lost. They ended up sharing a lot about themselves that they hadn’t before. Hell, Daisy found herself saying things she’d never voiced aloud, at all.

“Suspenders and a bow tie. Is that too hipster?” She said of what she’d imagine her groom to wear at her wedding. She and Coulson were currently washing and drying all of the dishes in the kitchen, making sure everything was shiny and clean for the wedding.

“It’s a little hipster,” Coulson teased, smirking at her for a moment. He was elbow deep in soapy water, so he couldn’t block her smack against his shoulder. It only made him laugh, though.

She felt stupidly pleased by the sound, and tried to hide it by focusing very intently on the plate she was towel drying.

“So what would you wear, then?” She challenged, expecting his answer and beginning to answer it for him, “The classic,”

“Tuxedo, yes,” Coulson finished, nodding. “Of course.”

“Of course.” Daisy repeated, rolling her eyes teasingly. “At least tell me you’d have a colored bow tie.”

“Maybe I’ll wear funky socks.” He mused, and she laughed. He added lightheartedly, “You never did like men in suits, though, so I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised by your choice.”

“Hey, not true,” She protested. “Some of them aren’t so bad.”

He grinned sideways at her, and the expression on his face made her stomach flutter a little bit.

“Yeah,” She breezed, ignoring her stupid hormones, “I suppose _some_  of them are _okay_.”

He huffed as if he knew better, but refocused on the dishes.

Thank God, because she was suddenly overcome with the desire to slide her hands into that warm water along with his, and - and what?

“Maybe after this we should check outside? Make sure the path is level and all that? Don’t want Elena tripping down the aisle, after all.” Daisy suggested, thinking some fresh air would do her good. They weren’t necessarily trapped together here, but, sometimes she felt like it. Like even on opposite sides of the cabin, he was still too close.

Maybe they should have kept that emotional distance between them, because now that they were closer again, all she wanted was more.

“Sure, good idea.” Coulson replied easily, having no idea about her internal struggle.

She stared at the side of his head as she dried each dish he handed her, not really paying attention to much outside of his profile. He didn’t often look up to pass her the glassware, either, which probably said something in of itself, though she wasn’t sure what.

Did he always have that strong jawline?

His hair was a little more grey than she remembered, as well; along his temples and the nape of his neck. The corners of his eyes had creases from where he’d been smiling, and he had a pleased curve of his mouth. Even in the midst of planning a wedding, he looked rested and relaxed.

That warm, joyful feeling curled through her gut again and she twisted her body to face the cabinet, thankful that her hair was long enough now that she could hide the smile on her own face.

**———**

 

  
At some point her good idea had turned into a horrible one.

Mack and Elena had liked the idea of standing near the lake, so Daisy and Coulson had already laid a few chairs out in the area where the QuinJet would normally land. It was more likely to be an even-footed area, anyway, and now that there was a larger clearing of trees in the woods, the jet could land there. Daisy stopped thinking about why that clearing was there as she stood a few feet in front of Coulson, who waited about in the area Mack would stand.

He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt and she was in her favorite comfy pair of jeans and baggy sweater, and none of the chairs were even set up, and nothing about the area screamed ‘wedding’ yet in any way, but…

She was envisioning him in his black tuxedo. And maybe all of it was just in her head, but the way he was watching her as she walked toward him…

“Good?” He murmured once she stood next to him.

“Yeah.” She said, not trusting herself with anything more than that.

That night, as she perused the computer after her shower and waited for her hair to dry, Daisy couldn’t get the picture out of her head. Maybe a classic black tux wedding wasn’t so bad, after all. Her imagined dress would still be simple, of course, and she was determined to keep the white Converses.

“Wonder if he’d wear black Converses with his tuxedo.” She mused aloud, snorting under her breath.

Then she realized what she was dreaming of, and she pushed herself quickly up out of her seat.

“Everything alright?” Coulson asked from the couch, where he was relaxing and reading one of the books from the shelves.

“Fine. Headed to bed. The others will start arriving tomorrow,”

“I remember,” He assured her easily, picking up on her tense tone. He marked his place in his book and stood up, his brow furrowed. “You alright? You’ve done amazingly, you know. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“Of course.” She nodded distractedly, not wanting to look at him for too long. She used to complain that it hurt to look at him, but this might be worse.

Then she was staring at his feet, imagining black Converses and funky striped socks.

“Night!” Her smile was a little too cheery, it felt, but she turned and disappeared into the spare bedroom before he could say anything else.

“Goodnight,” She heard softly behind her, and shut her bedroom door before leaning against the back of it.

“What the hell, Daisy.” She muttered to herself.

Tomorrow would be better. Everyone would be here for the rehearsal, and she could focus on Elena again.

**  
———  
  
**

 

When Daisy awoke, the morning sun was streaming through her window and she could hear movement about the cabin. She sat up quickly and reached for her phone, checking the time.

“Shit,” She grumbled, swinging her feet over the side of the bed. She was running a couple of hours later than she’d wanted to be. The rehearsal was later this afternoon, but even with the simple design, she still wanted plenty of time in the morning to set up.

When she stepped out of her room, she couldn’t help but pause and stare in surprise. Mack and Elena had a deep royal purple and white color scheme, and Coulson had set out some of the extra flowers in various areas around the living room and kitchen, brightening up the space and tying it in with the event a little bit, although most of it would be happening outside.

“Good morning,” Coulson greeted her with a warm smile when he stepped inside the front door and noticed her. “Here,” He leaned the chair he’d been carrying up against the wall as he closed the door, and then approached the coffee maker. “I made you coffee. Still warm.” He promised after feeling the mug.

“I…thank you,” Daisy accepted the mug from him gratefully, looking around the room before taking a sip. “How long have you been up?”

“Not long,” He replied over his shoulder as he picked up the chair again and tucked it into the coat closet. “This one’s a bit bent and wobbly so I figured I’d hide it in here before somebody accidentally uses it,” He explained. He seemed full of nervous energy, and she raised her eyebrow at him. “I thought I’d let you sleep in a little. Seemed like… you needed it?” He spoke carefully, clearly not wanting to annoy her.

“Thank you,” She told him again, sincerely. “I guess I did.”

He smiled warmly at her, and she realized his eyes had darted upward slightly. The fond look on his face grew, but then he turned on his heel again and opened the front door.

“Jemma called, said they would be here around noon. When you’re ready, I haven’t decorated the front porch yet.” He disappeared out the door before she could respond, and she stared out the window at him as he strolled toward the open field.

How much coffee had he had already this morning? And what had he been looking at that had made him make that face? She touched the top of her head, and groaned.

Bed head.

She carded her fingers through her hair as she stepped up to the sink, leisurely watching Coulson as she drank her coffee. He brushed his palm along Lola as he walked by, and Daisy smirked. She thought she could see his lips moving, but even if he had muttered something to the car, she wouldn’t have been able to tell.

She knew that a big reason they were getting along so easily was because of their mutual excitement for their friends’ marriage. She only hoped this reignited friendship lasted after all was said and done, because she wasn’t sure she could handle losing him again.

**———**

 

  
“Oh, hell.” Daisy realized about an hour before folks were supposed to arrive.

“What?” Coulson looked up from his phone.

“The dancing. We’re practicing the dancing today too, right?” Daisy grimaced down toward her bare feet wiggling her toes.

“It’s just a simple waltz. You know it.” Coulson assured her, she gave him a wary look. “That’s the point of the practice,” He pointed out.

“I don’t want Elena to worry about _anything_. What if I do something stupid during the practice?” Daisy fretted, inwardly wondering why the hell she was _fretting_ , she was not the type of person to fret.

Weddings, man.

“Come on,” Coulson sighed, setting his phone on the counter and walking into the living room, approaching the record player. Etta James soon started playing and Coulson toed his shoes and socks off.

“What are you,”

“Trust me, you’ll feel more comfortable if you’re not worried I’ll step on you.” He quirked his eyebrow at her. “Which, I _won't_ , anyway.”

She huffed at him, but met him in the empty area in the middle of the two rooms.

“I can’t believe they picked this song,” Daisy mused. “Doesn’t _everybody_  use this song?”

“It’s a classic,” Coulson argued.

“Well, we all know how you feel about _those_ ,” She interjected.

“And anyway,” He continued, ignoring her teasing jibe, “I’m pretty sure it’s some kind of joke between them. It’s what Elena wanted.” He shrugged.

Daisy stood in front of him as he squared his feet, and lifted his hands.

“Just remember, they’ll dance by themselves for the first part of the song. We’ll join in later.” He reminded her, as she took his hand and stepped into his embrace. His left hand curled firmly around her palm, and his right was warm and strong against the back of her shoulder. “Trust me,” he murmured, “follow my lead.”

They mostly stepped side-to-side for a bit, rocking more than anything else, until the music changed a little and he squeezed her hand a bit tighter, and stepped forward. She stepped back when his thigh brushed against hers, and he nodded approvingly.

“See, I told you you had this.” He approved as they moved easily about the small space together.

“I _have_  waltzed before,” Daisy pursed her lips. “It’s just been a little while. I was afraid I’d forgotten.”

After a moment, he squeezed her hand again and circled their hands over her head, guiding her into a turn. She stepped off-beat only briefly, but he smoothly guided her back into the easy steps again.

“I promise not too many turns. But I’ll squeeze your hand in warning before I do it, okay?” He imitated what his signal would be and she nodded, and turned with him this time. “Step, turn, step, yeah like that.”

She grinned as her muscles quickly remembered how this all worked, and even when he seemed to know that she got it down, he didn’t release her quite yet.

She didn’t mind at all, and as the jazz album went on to different songs, they continued dancing, keeping along with each change in tempo. At one point, she couldn’t help but look him up and down as they moved together, dancing a little closer now that they were both loosened up and comfortable.

“You do a lot of Latin dancing back in the day?” She raised her eyebrow at him and he gave her an incredulous look.

“Back in the day?” He repeated. “You make me sound old!” He spun her around and when she turned back toward him, he tugged her even closer, their thighs brushing together much more frequently now with the way he moved his hips.

She liked his playful attitude, though, and went along with him, curving her body a bit more freely as well. She was no longer worried at all about the wedding or if she’d so far performed her duties as Maid of Honor well - Elena would be here soon, and if she didn’t like something, Daisy had plenty of time to fix it.

Shy of the Watchdogs crashing the thing, the wedding wasn’t big enough to have a catastrophe, anyway.

She shifted her arm further along his, curling her fingers loosely around the nape of his neck. He didn’t seem to mind the gesture.

“Thank you,” She told him, smiling. “For helping me get out of my head.”

“Elena loves you and she’ll love this.” Coulson assured her, and she nodded, her fingers playing a little with the ends of his hair. Where his eyes had seemed brighter than usual, now they darkened slightly, and he slowed their steps.

He held her even closer, now, hip to hip, and it was beginning to feel a lot more like a slow tango than the waltz they started out with. He seemed to want to say something, but he didn’t; instead the hand on her upper back dropped significantly lower, and he tucked their clasped hands closer to his chest.

She continued to follow his lead, albeit holding her breath a little bit his body pressed against hers. He was leaner than he appeared, and while she’s known that he was strong, she’d never fully considered it before now. Quite suddenly, she was curious about what he would like _underneath_  a black tuxedo.

She didn’t realize they were leaning closer and closer as they moved, until his nose brushed against hers. She pressed her fingers a little more firmly against the back of his neck, and his lips parted as he held the moment, lingering in that small distance between them as they continued to dance.

She wanted to kiss him, desperately, but in the same vein she didn’t want this moment to end. The lengthy eye contact and the shared breath just before mouths touched; the sorts of things she often rushed through because she had thought that the kiss was the best part.

But it wasn’t - this was the best part.

“Phil,” She whispered, wanting to apologize for her part in the emotional distance they’d had between them for so long.

But then a few car doors slammed outside, and suddenly her arms were empty and her skin was cold as Coulson seemed to disappear from their embrace.

She blinked, reorienting herself as he quickly moved first toward the record player, cutting it off, before sitting in the chair nearby and yanking on his socks and shoes.

She dropped her hands to her sides and quietly cleared her throat, smoothing down the sundress she wore as if it’d gotten rumpled. It hadn’t, and she wished it’d had. She glanced back toward Coulson as warm desire coursed through her, and then she quickly moved toward the sink and poured herself a glass of water.

“Knock, knock!” Hunter’s voice called through the door as he knocked twice and then opened it. After gulping down half the glass, Daisy set it down on the counter and skipped over to greet him, hugging him tightly.

“I didn’t think you’d make it!” She couldn’t help but half-squeal, not realizing until this exact moment just how much she’d missed him. Thoughts of her sudden romantic interest (was it really all that sudden though?) were pushed aside as she greeted her old friends.

Hunter returned her hug whole-heartedly, lifting her up off of her feet and swinging her around. When he set her down she noticed Bobbi entering behind him, and she pushed him away so she could hug the other woman as well.

“Hey, Daisy,” Bobbi greeted her warmly, giving her a big hug.

Apparently put back together, Coulson approached them and reached for Hunter’s hand, though Hunter grasped it and pulled the man in for a firm hug. Coulson laughed as he returned it, and Bobbi raised her eyebrow at Daisy.

“How are things?” Bobbi asked curiously, looking around.

“Here, let me take your bags,” Daisy accepted the two duffels, tucking them just inside the door of the room she had been using. “The spare room is all set up; I’ve been sleeping there but I put fresh sheets on the bed for you guys.” She quirked her eyebrow teasingly. “Assuming you haven’t split up, again.”

“Oh, even if we did, I’m sure Bobs wouldn’t mind sharing a bed with me. Right?” He grinned at his lover, throwing his arm over her shoulders. She rolled her eyes at him.

“That sounds perfect,” Bobbi assured her, mostly ignoring her husband. “But where will you sleep?” She glanced between Daisy and Coulson.

Daisy glanced at Coulson, and noticed the muscle in his jaw twitch, and answered quickly,

“Oh I’ll crash on the couch. We’ve replaced the old one - this one is much more comfortable.” Bobbi still seemed curious about something, but Daisy continued and changed the subject, “Mack is going to be stoked that you guys are here. They should be arriving soon,” She glanced at her watch, and Coulson moved to check his phone.

“Saw FitzSimmons and May with a few others outside,” Hunter nodded, gesturing his thumb in that direction. “Think they’re checking out the digs. Question - ” He leaned in close to Daisy. “That sassy little dark-haired woman - are she and May a thing?”

“That sassy little dark-haired woman has a name.” May replied dryly from the doorway, surprising Hunter and making him jump.

“I - sorry - I didn’t mean, just curious,” He defended himself lamely, noticeably putting Bobbi between himself and the possible threat.

“Hi. Piper.” Agent Piper spoke with a controlled cheerfulness that let Hunter know full-well that he wasn’t quite off the hook yet, though he did shake her hand.

“Nice to meet you.” He said honestly, and apologetically. She smirked at him, and he looked unsure of his personal safety as he glanced between her and May.

They all meandered toward the living room as they caught up with one another; Daisy and Coulson had been at the Retreat for a few days now so they wanted updates on the base, and they were all curious about what Bobbi and Hunter had been up to. When Fitz and Simmons joined them, Coulson moved back into the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of water and leaning back against the edge of the sink as he drank it and watched them.

More accurately, watched Daisy. Every so often she’d lift her eyes toward him, feigning listening to Hunter as he spoke across from her. Coulson was staring at her intently, in a way that made her pulse race and that fluttering in her stomach increase tenfold.

Whatever had happened earlier, whatever had been about to happen, he clearly didn’t think it was some kind of mistake.

She was relieved, because she didn’t think so, either. The timing could have been better, for sure….

**———  
  
**

 

There was another short reunion when Mack and Elena arrived with the pastor, but since he had a schedule to keep, they got right to the rehearsal. Once logistics were figured out, it all went rather smoothly.

When it came to practicing the walk, Coulson stood with military-stoicism and a calm-as-ever look on his face, so she once again followed his lead. She pressed her hand somewhat firmly against her own stomach as they linked elbows, to hide the shaking of her fingers. He probably still noticed, but he didn’t call attention to it.

Fitz played “At Last” through one of his dwarves that hovered around nearby, and Daisy was so caught up in watching the adorable sight that was Elena and Mack, she forgot about her own anxiousness entirely.

At least, until the music made that familiar change, and Coulson was taking her arm and leading her across the grass along with the other couple.

“Just follow me,” He murmured soothingly as she gripped his hand a little too tightly. She forced herself to relax, and smile, and soon enough the steps came easily. She looked around a little more often as they moved, not wanting to get caught up in Coulson’s eyes again, and found Elena glancing over at her every so often and giving her a little grin.

The song ended and Jemma reminded them that she could take more photos of them at this point tomorrow if Elena or Mack liked. The pastor congratulated the soon-to-be-wed couple and promised he’d see them tomorrow before heading off to his next appointment. Piper and May left with him; having flown him here on the QuinJet.

Daisy wondered what it took for his silence about their job vocations, and the location of the cabin, but then again, he was a pastor. Confidentiality was something he was already used to.

They talked a bit more about what would happen after the dance, and then Coulson walked Mack over to Lola, talking with him quietly about something. Daisy took a stroll with Elena around the lake, the two of them talking about random topics not directly associated with the wedding. Daisy knew Elena wanted to take a break from all the planning stuff.

“You two dance well together.” Elena mused after the conversation had petered out for a moment. Daisy raised her eyebrow at her friend.

“Me and Coulson?” She waved it away with a gesture of her hand. “I made him practice with me a lot. I don’t want to fall into the lake and ruin your big day,” She joked, and Elena laughed. Daisy smiled, hoping the conversation was turned at that point.

“I bet he looks fine in a tux,” Elena mused, looking across the field toward the cabin. They had rounded the water at this point and were headed back; Daisy could see that Phil and Mack were still hanging around Lola, but the others had headed inside.

“Yeah…” Daisy mused for a moment, and then straightened her spine. “You should be thinking about your _fiancé_  in a tuxedo,” She chided, and Elena laughed again.

“Trust me, that’s practically all I’m thinking about.” Elena smiled widely, and Daisy grinned too. “Still, don’t tell me you haven’t entertained the idea.”

“The idea of what?” Daisy wondered, not wanting Elena to actually answer that.

“Don’t be so bull-headed. _Phil_.” Elena gestured her hand, and Daisy pursed her lips. “All this time alone, planning a wedding together?”

“Did you - did you set us up?!” Daisy hissed, pausing to stare at her friend. Elena’s eyes lit up.

“Did you kiss?”

“ _No_ ,”

“Oh,” Elena frowned in disappointment, “The way you said that, I thought…” She sighed and shook her head, tutting. “You two. What else am I supposed to do? Lock you up naked in a closet together?”

“I - you - that’s - how would you even - ” Daisy spluttered, distracted with thoughts about how that would even be possible. And thoughts about Coulson naked.

“Haha, I know that face.” Elena teased, cat-calling as she led the way toward the cabin, walking backwards.

“Elena, this is _your_  wedding,” Daisy reminded her firmly, and Elena laughed.

“What better distraction from the stress then to focus on setting my best friend up with the man of her dreams?”

“He’s not the man of my dreams,” Daisy hissed, and it sounded like a lie even to herself.

Literally, she’d been dreaming about him just last night.

“Liar.” Elena grinned cheekily.

“If you weren’t so fast I’d push you into this lake right now.” Daisy threatened without any actual real intent.

“Alright, alright,” Elena sighed dramatically. “I will drop it. For now.”

Daisy sighed as well, more quietly, though the two of them strolled arm in arm most of the way back to the cabin. When they were nearing the two men, Elena spoke up again, whispering,

“ _Really_ , alone in this beautiful place for this long and the two of you haven’t,” She stopped when Daisy elbowed her, and her guffaw caught Mack’s attention.

He narrowed his eyes at them curiously, no doubt thinking they’d been talking about him, and Elena gave him a flirty grin.

“Must we keep up the tradition of not seeing one another before the wedding?” Elena lightly whined as she pressed herself against Mack’s chest. He automatically wrapped his arms around her as he smiled down at her. “I mean, I’ve already seen you naked.” She reasoned, looking him up and down best she could from their positioning.

“We can stay in the same room tonight,” Mack replied heavily, as if it were a difficult decision for him to make. “But first thing in the morning, we follow tradition.” He held her out at arms length for a moment. “The first time I see you in that dress I want it to be from either end of the aisle.”

Daisy couldn’t help but smile fondly at them, and glanced toward Coulson when he stepped closer to her side. He was watching the other two as well, but he brushed his hand against hers, briefly entwining their fingers together.

Daisy’s heart jumped in her chest but then Mack and Elena were refocusing on the world around them, so Daisy slipped her hand free. Coulson took half a step to the side away from her, and it was as if nothing had happened.

“You two are gross. I can’t believe that level of cuteness is actually real.” Daisy teased them, and Elena raised her eyebrows and looked toward Coulson before opening her mouth.

“Why uh, don’t we hang out here a little while longer? Spend some time with the others before heading back to the Zephyr.” Mack suggested, somehow having an idea of where Elena was going to go.

She closed her mouth and nodded at him, wrapping her arm around his waist as they headed toward the front door together. She threw Daisy a wink as they slipped by, and Mack sent her an apologetic half-smile overtop her head.

She and Coulson stood alone in silence for a moment.

“So, what were you and Mack talking about?” Daisy wondered, breaking the silence as she stepped closer to Lola and touched her hand against the rear quarter panel.

“Lola,” Coulson replied, moving toward the car as well. He reached out to rest his palm over the red paint, very noticeably close to hers. She imagined she could feel him against her back, though he wasn't standing quite _that_  close.

“Lola?” Daisy repeated, her curiosity stronger now, more than just making conversation. “What about her?”

“It’s my wedding present,” Coulson began, and Daisy whirled around to gape at him. He rolled his eyes and finished, “A joy-ride, more or less. I gave them 24 hours with the car.”

Daisy stared at him open-mouthed, and he huffed, propping his other hand on his hip.

“It’s his _wedding_. All he’s ever asked me for is permission to check under her hood. How could I pass up offering him some time to drive her?”

“I’m amazed.” Daisy commented.

“I can see that.” He replied dryly. She then smiled widely at him, because of course it was super cute how he and Mack got along the way they did, and Coulson smiled back.

Then he slid his hand forward a little, covering a few of her fingers with his own.

“Daisy,” He murmured more seriously, and she held her breath. He had that same look on his face now as he’d had earlier in the day, when they were… when they were about to…

“Phil.” She whispered, warningly, with just a small shake of her head. Even if all the others were intently focused on hanging out together, she was still very much aware of how the two of them were not alone right now. She wouldn’t be surprised if Elena was even spying on them through the kitchen window.

“Yesterday?” He began intently, and she furrowed her brow, not following at first. “When we were out here, making sure everything was prepared to set up?” When he knew that she was now following, he told her, “It wasn’t just you, you know.”

She blinked at him slowly.

“Daydreaming.” He clarified, somehow managing to sound both nonchalant and deeply serious at the same time. She swallowed, hard, and he ventured to cover her hand more completely with his, brushing his thumb slowly against her knuckles.

She was beginning to wonder why it mattered that they weren’t alone. Since when did simply holding someone’s hand make her feel so… _alive_?

She heard a clatter and burst of laughter from the open front door of the house, and slipped her hand out from under his.

“This is - ” She tried to clear her mind, tried to calm down for a moment so she could speak clearly. “Elena and Mack are getting married. Tomorrow. We’re their partners in this, we’ve got to take care of them, we can’t - ” She shook her head, took a deep breath, and let it out before finishing. “We need to focus on Elena and on Mack.”

He gave her a lingering heavy look before nodding, and moved his hand back to his side. She nodded in return, and stepped away from the car, heading back toward the house. She hesitated at the foot of the front porch, though, and turned back toward him. He was still by the car in relatively the same position, and she called out to get his attention.

“Hey, Phil,”

He turned to face her, and she gave him a small smile. He smiled slowly back, and then she felt comfortable enough to head inside the cabin.

Maybe they could revisit this discussion after the wedding.

**———  
  
**

 

Daisy was more nervous than Elena, the day of. Jemma could take great photos of more than just evidence and dead bodies, so she was carrying a camera around pretty much as soon as she rolled out of bed. More than once, Daisy was aware of Jemma and her camera’s presence while working on finishing touches with Coulson, and Daisy was overly paranoid about everything she did in his vicinity.

Were they standing too close? Did they accidentally touch just then? Could that be construed as romantic in any way? What was her face doing right now? What was _his_  face doing right now?

As it was, Coulson was trying to be extremely helpful by acting like exactly nothing had happened at all - in fact, he was being rather distant with her all morning. Reminiscent to how they’d been _before_  Mack and Elena had asked them to help with the wedding.

Daisy wasn’t quite sure she liked him pushing it _that_  far, but she never had a moment truly alone with him to talk. So, as she had yesterday, she followed his lead.

And then suddenly she had Mack’s large ring safely around her thumb, and her arm in Coulson’s, and processional music was playing as they made their way between the two groups of their friends.

There were now pictures of her in this royal purple dress standing alongside him in that black tuxedo with matching purple bow tie. Sure, she thought the dress she and Elena had chosen was gorgeous, but was it too much? She didn’t want to look  _too_  good walking arm-in-arm with Coulson. She didn’t want to give the people watching them any ideas.

As it was, Hunter was grinning widely at the two of them in a way that left no question to how he thought they looked, and Daisy couldn’t wait until Elena made her entrance and captured everybody’s attention.

When they reached the end of the aisle, Coulson paused and looked down at her. He wiggled his pinkie slightly, indicating Elena’s ring was safe in his custody, and she nodded at him. Then they were parting ways; Daisy took her place where Elena would soon stand next to her, and Coulson shook Mack’s hand before standing behind him, his hands clasped together in front of him.

Daisy hadn’t really thought she was the type, but she was looking toward Mack when Elena reached his line of vision, and the look on his face made Daisy have to dab at her eyes a bit. Once mostly sure she wasn’t going to start ugly crying or anything, she focused on her best friend, and she couldn’t keep the proud grin off of her face after that.

Daisy had helped her get ready, of course, so she knew how Elena looked. But there was something different about it in the moment. It was amazing to be able to watch how Elena’s gaze didn’t waver from Mack’s once, not even when she passed her purple and white bouquet to Daisy to hold.

The four of them rearranged themselves as necessary aside the pastor, and he began his speech. Daisy was very familiar with the scripture verses, having grown up with the nuns in the orphanage, but she thought that she understood them a little better now.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. Love is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered… it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Daisy looked at Coulson as the pastor recited the verses, and knew right then and there that something she once used to joke off as cheesy nonsense was anything but.

Coulson was looking right back at her, and he quirked a small smile at her that made her bite her lip to keep from grinning back.

Damn, she was head over heels, wasn’t she? More than that - she was in _deep_. When did this happen?

“The rings?” The pastor’s soft question drew Daisy back into focus, and she watched with unabashed happiness as Coulson carefully handed Mack Elena’s ring, and Mack turned back toward his soon-to-be-wife to grasp her hand.

Mack’s smile was wide and nervous and made Daisy want to squee a little bit, but she managed to contain it as he spoke his vows. Then it was Elena’s turn to do the same, and she gave her friend a wink as she handed off the ring.

Once the pastor declared them man and wife, they kissed, and everyone cheered so much that Daisy’s chest felt tight for a bit of a different reason.

How long has it been since they were all this happy? It was difficult not to be melancholic for a moment, but then the pastor was announcing the couple as,

“Mr. and Mrs. Mackenzie,”

And Elena grinned and wiggled her eyebrows at Daisy, who couldn’t help but return the expression gleefully.

Then Mack and Elena strolled arm in arm back down the aisle, and after a moment, Daisy and Coulson followed.

It was possibly the most beautiful moment Daisy had ever been a part of.

**———**

 

  
When it came time for the dance, Daisy was so happy for two of her closest friends that she wasn’t thinking much at all about her own personal revelations. She simply enjoyed herself, and smiled back at Elena whenever they caught eyes on the dance floor. Elena winked at her more than once, but Daisy didn’t let it get to her.

And if Coulson danced a little more closely to her than what was necessarily ‘traditional’, well, no one else seemed bothered by it, so Daisy wasn’t either. She even let her hand trail over his shoulder and around the nape of his neck, smiling at him when his expression warmed significantly.

She did make a mental note, though, to go through Jemma’s camera at the end of the day. She seemed to be taking an equal amount of photos of both of the couples, and she was supposed to be focusing on the wedding pair.

The dancing led to dinner which then led to lots of conversation, but eventually Daisy could tell that Elena was itching to get out of there. Suffice to say that everyone there was surprised to find Mack and Elena slipping into Lola’s seats, Coulson making a bit of a show of tossing Mack the keys.

Once they drove off, and the biggest part of the job was over, Daisy expected that melancholy feeling to hit her again. It didn’t, though. Most of the team hung around for a few hours afterward, and even helped clean up what decoration needed brought in from outside, and the whole time Daisy just felt... peace.

By the time it was just Daisy, Coulson, Bobbi, and Hunter in the cabin, Daisy was beyond exhausted. She and Bobbi both had kicked their shoes off long ago, and had their feet propped up on the coffee table as they lounged next to one another on the couch.

Hunter dropped a box of beer between their bare feet, a wide grin on his face.

“What kind of wedding doesn’t involved getting shit-faced?” He proclaimed, and Bobbi muttered something about him being ‘fan-fucking-tastically dependable in certain situations’ as she reached for a bottle. He passed one to Daisy as well, and one to Coulson once the other man stepped back inside after securing the perimeter of the Retreat.

“Simple but elegant,” Bobbi congratulated them, lifting her bottle in their direction, “good job, you two. Maybe you should rethink your job titles, eh?”

Coulson snorted and shook his head as he took a long drink from his bottle, pulling his tie loose to drape open in his collar.

To avoid staring at that, Daisy focused on emptying half of her beer.

“Hey, Simmons left her camera behind,” Hunter picked it up off of one of the recliners before he plopped down into the cushion, turning the device on so he could look at the photos.

“If you delete anything, we will all murder you and hide your body and no one will ever know a thing.” Daisy threatened, and Hunter gave her a wide-eyed, appalled look.

Somehow, the four of them ended up squished side-by-side on the couch; Bobbi and Hunter and Daisy and Coulson, Hunter holding the camera so they could all lean in and look at the viewing screen.

Well, Coulson had to lean in more, but Daisy wasn’t complaining. His leg pressing against her right one didn't really feel any different than Hunter’s on her left side, except that it _was_  different. It was Coulson. And it was electrifying.

But she was also exhausted, and couldn’t do much more than ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ over the photos Jemma had grabbed. And poke Hunter firmly in the thigh when he lingered too long over a shot of her and Coulson.

Some of them were pretty cute, though, she had to admit. And she was both appalled and incredibly pleased that they’d been caught on camera looking at one another a few times. Because if Coulson really was looking at her like that…then, well, maybe they had more in common than just daydreaming.

**———**

 

  
When Daisy awoke, she didn’t even dare open her eyes yet. She couldn’t recall how much beer she’d had last night, but judging by the hangover that was raging inside of her skull, it was no small amount.

Someone groaned painfully beneath her, and she yanked her eyes open even against the sharp burst of light against her senses.

She was laying face-down on top of Coulson, her hips nestled between his knees and her cheek pressed against his sternum. One of her hands was draped over his shoulder, like she’d fallen asleep while stroking his hair, and the other was against his chest just above her head.

At least they were both still clothed. Though, there was really no hiding _that_  pressed against her stomach…

“Nng, Daisy?” Coulson grumbled, still half-asleep, and she bit her lip as she grinned, but didn’t move yet.

“Points for you; I’m not Hunter.” She teased quietly, threading her fingers together atop his chest and propping her chin on them so she could look at his face.

He squeezed one eye open and peered down at her, his expression unreadable for a moment. At least, until he started to turn red with embarrassment.

“I should, um… go find some Advil.” He muttered, sliding his hands beneath him on the cushion to push himself up, and she nodded and leaned back on her knees to scoot down off of him. They sat there on either end of the couch for an awkward moment, before Coulson got to his feet and walked unsteadily toward the main bedroom where his bag was.

Daisy was busy trying to forget how amazing his body had felt cuddled against hers, and didn’t hear the spare room door open.

“Ah, sleeping beauties are awake,” Hunter grinned down at her, and she scowled at him as she managed to get to her feet and trudge toward the coffee machine.

She carded her fingers through her hair and smoothed a few of the wrinkles out of her dress as she prepared the brew, avoiding looking directly at Hunter.

“Sleep well?” He wondered cheekily.

“How late were we up last night?” Daisy asked instead of answering his question, glancing toward the multiple bottles of beer that lay strewn about the table in the living room. It appeared as if the four of them had managed to go through a good bit of the box Hunter had brought.

“Oh, I’m not sure. You two conked out against one another’s shoulders while Bobs and I were talking. By the time we noticed, it was three or four in the morning. We headed to bed.”

“And didn’t think to wake us?” Daisy grouched, and he smiled a shit-eating grin.

“Are you kidding? The photos are _super_  cute.”

“ _What_  photos?” Daisy hissed, and Hunter held his hands up defensively as he leaned his hip against the kitchen table.

“Why don’t you drink your coffee before we bother with any more questions?” He suggested for his own self-preservation, and she huffed, but she didn’t argue with him further.

She was too hungover to deal with much of anything right now.

Coulson walked out of his room as the coffee machine did its thing, and he looked immensely relieved as he leaned his hips back against the sink, next to Daisy and across from Hunter. Hunter was giving him the eye the entire time, but Coulson impressively ignored him.

“Here's some pain meds. Should help with that headache,” Coulson poured the couple of pills in his hand into her cupped palm. The brush of his skin made her shiver and she inwardly scowled at herself. It was just his _hand_.

“Thanks.” She mumbled, popping them into her mouth and using her saliva to swallow them. The coffee wasn’t quite finished yet, but Daisy was hit with the sudden urge to pee. “Can I use your bathroom?” She asked Coulson, and he nodded. As she grabbed her toiletry bag from her duffel by the couch, she heard Hunter ask,

“So, sleep well?”

“Shut up, Hunter.”

Daisy smirked at Coulson’s response, but didn’t acknowledge that she’d heard anything before slipping into the bedroom.

She’d been in here, before, of course. She was very familiar with the layout after the time she had spent here (that felt like eons ago, now). But there was something decidedly homier about it with Coulson’s things scattered about the room. His wallet and watch atop the dresser, his suit jacket discarded somewhat carefully on the end of the bed, a clean dress shirt hanging from the curtain rod, his open duffel bag on the floor beneath that.

His shaving supplies were carefully laid out on the back of the sink and she gingerly touched the handle of the round brush, smiling. Of course he used a straight razor. The faint scent of his aftershave lingered in the room as well, and for a brief moment she was tempted to put a little on the inside of her wrist so she could smell it throughout the day.

“Don't be creepy, Daisy.” She muttered to herself, rolling her eyes as she settled onto the commode. “He almost kissed you and held your hand a couple times. That doesn't mean anything.” She knew that bit was a lie, but she wasn’t quite sure what it _did_  mean.

Once she was finished emptying her bladder and washing her hands, she brushed her teeth as well, and combed out her hair. At least her bed head didn’t seem as bad today as it had the other day. Wanting her toothbrush to dry before putting it back away, she set it in the holder next to Coulson’s, and then headed back into the main part of the house, desperately wanting that coffee.

The men were speaking in hushed tones and Daisy paused just inside the doorway, still out of sight while she strained to hear what they were saying. She smirked as she wondered if Coulson was reaming Hunter out for taking pictures of them while they were sleeping.

“What happened last night?” Coulson wondered seriously. “I can’t really remember…we were talking, I think I fell asleep,”

“You did. Conked out right on Daisy’s shoulder. No, no, don’t make that face - it was super cute. She probably fell asleep not long after; honestly Bobs and I didn’t really notice until we were headed to bed ourselves.”

“And you just left us there?”

“Hey, you’re the one who said the couch was more comfortable than the old one. Plus, it was super cute.”

“Hunter.”

“Look, mate,” Hunter’s voice had softened significantly, “If you’re worried about anything… uh, untoward, well, don’t. Far as I know, there was just a wee bit of cuddling.”

“That’s it?”

“Scouts honor.”

“Okay.” Coulson sounded immensely relieved.

“Are you trying to tell me you _don't_  want to kiss her?” Hunter snorted.

“I…” Coulson paused, and he must have made a face that said whatever he was trying to put into words, because Hunter said quietly,

“Oh, Coulson.”

“I want to do this right.” Coulson admitted. “She’s…she’s important. More important than anyone else I’ve ever met. The  _most_  important. I can’t - I don’t want to find out we’ve had some sort of drunken fling.”

“Trust me, Coulson, and I do mean it - I don’t think you even kissed her. I honestly can’t speak for after we went to bed and the two of you ended up… how you ended up, but, I really doubt anything happened.”

“Good. Good.” Coulson released a heavy breath.

There was a beat of silence, and Daisy figured they were finished talking, so she gathered her wits about her and stepped out of the bedroom. Hunter clasped his hand on Coulson’s shoulder and grinned widely.

“I _knew_  it!” He crowed, sounding much more like himself, now. “You two are seriously - ”

“Is the coffee ready yet?” Daisy asked, interrupting Hunter, acting as if she had no idea what was going on.

Inwardly, she was some sort of flailing, melting, combination of feelings she wasn’t sure she could quite handle yet this early in the morning or with this level of a hangover.

Coulson flinched in surprise and looked chagrined for a brief moment before he turned toward the machine.

“Just finished.” He informed her, his back to her to hide his face.

“Morning, love,” Hunter wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in for a brief, fond hug. She slipped her arm about his waist to return it, still with the feeling of having missed him even with all of his antics. “Feeling better?” He asked.

“A little.” She nodded. “The coffee will help.”

“Here you are,” Coulson handed her a steaming mug and she pulled away from Hunter to retrieve it from him.

His face was doing that shut-down thing that he always did when he was trying to hide something from her, and she was having none of that. Not now; not after they’ve finally seemed to regain so much of that closeness they had lost.

She took the mug with both hands, making sure to cover his for a moment brief enough that Hunter probably wouldn’t notice, but long enough that Coulson would. His eyes softened slightly, and she gave him a small smile, before stepping back and leaning against the edge of the table. She held the mug tucked against her chest, breathing in the aroma of the coffee as she let the porcelain warm herself, as well.

Being late summer, the weather was generally perfect during the day time, but nights occasionally still were chilly, and the cabin itself was fairly drafty. The only reason why she probably didn’t get cold last night was because Coulson was like a personal heater beneath her.

She stopped thinking of Coulson's body beneath hers and drank her coffee.

**  
———**

 

  
They’d finished removing all traces of themselves from outside, freshened up, had lunch, and managed a difficult goodbye to Bobbi and Hunter. Coulson and Daisy needed to head back to base soon; they’d been gone for probably too long already, and the other two needed to get back underground before someone higher up became aware of their presence in the area. They were still on a few watch lists and had to be careful.

Daisy couldn’t even hide it - she was moping. Sure, Hunter got on her nerves almost on a non-stop basis, and she and Bobbi didn’t quite always see eye-to-eye, but nevertheless she still shared a deep bond with the two. While she missed their partnership within the SHIELD world, she missed their companionship even more. The first goodbye had been hard enough.

“Can’t we have them back, now that we’re legitimate?” Daisy sighed, more rhetorical than anything else. She was once more in the kitchen, sitting up on the edge of the table this time. “I mean, they’ve already been acquitted,”

“You know the Russian government doesn’t care about double jeopardy.” Coulson pointed out softly, speaking over his shoulder as he finished up washing the glass he’d been drinking from. He’d just finished running a few laps around the pond outside.

“Yeah.” Daisy mumbled, looking down as she kicked her foot lightly against one of the dining chairs. Coulson turned the water off and dried his hands as he turned to face her.

“I miss them, too.” He told her, speaking even gentler than before, setting the hand towel on the counter. She bit her lip as she looked at him, mildly annoyed that it seemed the overwhelming emotions of yesterday still hadn’t quite worn off, yet.

Though, it’s been a long time in general, since she last allowed herself to really _miss_  someone. She’d lost too many people; she was too afraid it would overwhelm her. She must’ve made some kind of face, because Coulson crooned softly and stepped toward her.

“Daisy,” He murmured, and she wrapped her arms around his torso immediately, not caring at all that he was still covered in post-run sweat. He curled his arms firmly around her back and tucked her head beneath his chin, hugging her firmly.

He always did give the best hugs.

She didn’t cry, but she did let a few tears fall before she inhaled a deep, shaky breath. She could feel him brushing his thumbs soothingly against the back of her tee-shirt, and she clutched him a little bit tighter, not wanting him to pull away yet. She shifted her cheek from his chest to his shoulder, her nose touching his neck, and she felt him suck in a quiet breath.

Like a switch was flipped, she was no longer thinking so much about longing for her friends. She was thinking about how her knees were pressed around his hips, and how he smelled like grass and sweat but it was somehow pleasant; somehow very _Coulson_. How strong his arms were around her, how his skin glistened with perspiration. She wanted to taste it.

So she did.

She sat back slightly to see his reaction to her tongue pressed against his neck; his lips were parted and he was staring at her.

Sometime between her first and second blink, his hands tangled into her hair and he crushed his mouth and body against hers. She was momentarily frozen, overwhelmed with finally, _finally_  - she gripped the back of his shoulders firmly and shifted forward on the table to wrap herself more completely around him, his body warm against hers and hard and soft in all the right places.

She probably should be embarrassed about the moan that escaped her throat, but he immediately followed it with a thorough exploration of her mouth with his tongue and she couldn’t really think of anything at all.

Almost like with the dance, she unhesitatingly followed his lead when he pressed her back down against the tabletop, bracing his hands above her shoulders as he stretched his body over hers. She slipped her hands down and up underneath his tee shirt, pressing her fingertips into his back as she blindly explored the give and take of his muscles.

Like she’d said before; surprisingly lean.

And fucking _talented_  with that mouth of his (but hadn’t she always guessed so?)

His shorts wouldn’t hide it if his arousal had moved further south, and while he wasn’t hard yet it didn’t really matter with the way he was grinding his pelvis against hers and kissing her like he would die if he stopped.

“Phil,” She gasped much louder than she’d intended to when he mouthed her neck. He’d had her panting and writhing beneath his touch within a mere matter of moments.

His hands curved a path down the sides of her breasts and her waist, fingers pushing beneath her tee and wrapping firmly around her skin. His touch burned and she grabbed his head, pulling him back up to kiss him.

He let her do what she wanted, this time, unabashedly moaning as she trailed her tongue along his. Her hands were in his hair again, and he gripped her hips almost too hard, holding her tightly against him as he thrust his hips.

Hell, she could come right now if he kept -

A car horn blared twice; a happy greeting as somebody pulled up to the cabin.

Coulson wrenched himself away from her, both of them staring at one another wide-eyed and shaking. His hands were gripping the edge of the counter behind him, white-knuckled.

Fuck, he looked exactly like he’d just been making out with her. She wanted nothing more than to continue doing just that, but she needed to intervene before their visitor barged in and caught them.

She urgently pressed her hands against her hair as she slid off of the edge of the table. Her knees didn’t exactly want to hold her up but she forced herself to smooth down her shirt before yanking the door open and slipping out onto the porch, closing it quickly behind her.

As soon as she saw Lola, she remembered that Mack and Elena were supposed to be dropping her off today before taking the Zephyr to their actual Honeymoon destination.

“Hey, you lovebirds!” Daisy greeted, sounding overly cheerful to herself. She quietly cleared her throat and gripped her shaking fingers tightly behind her for a moment. “Pull yourself together,” She muttered to herself before hopping down the steps to meet her friends.

“Hey, yourself.” Elena drawled with a wide grin on her face, and Daisy swallowed. “How are you?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” Daisy laughed lightly, and Mack smirked. Daisy’s smile slowly turned into a suspicious frown, and Elena began laughing joyfully.

“We’ve been here for quite a few minutes, you know,” Elena began to explain through her laughter, and as Daisy felt the color drain from her face, she heard the door open behind her.

“Brought Lola back as promised,” Mack called out to Coulson, who approached them curiously. “But maybe we should have kept her for a little longer?”

Daisy glanced over at Coulson and inwardly groaned. He’d straightened himself out, mostly, but his hair was still sticking up a bit in odd angles. And there was no hiding the redness of his mouth.

“What?” Phil furrowed his brow as he accepted the car keys from his friend. “Hey, the deal was 24 hours. And since you honored it, you know I might let you take her out again sometime.”

“I mean,” Mack gestured between Coulson and Daisy, “Maybe we should have let you finish?” He was grinning even wider at this point, and Daisy gaped at him.

“You’re as bad as Hunter!” She accused, and Elena chuckled again.

“So that hickey on your neck magically appeared there?” She teased, and Daisy automatically lifted her hand to the spot, feeling the tenderness of it.

Damn.

“Anyway,” Mack sobered slightly, wanting to tease his friends but not make them feel bad. “You didn’t even hear us drive up. We decided to give you a minute and, uh,” His laugh was mildly embarrassed now, “when it became apparent you weren’t going to stop any time soon, I honked the horn a few times.”

“Daisy and I were NOT making out!” Phil protested, and Mack raised his eyebrow, but Elena spoke before he could say anything,

“Maybe you weren’t. And maybe Mack and I DIDN’T have sex in Lola.”

Phil spluttered, and Daisy snorted, covering her mouth with her hand. Phil glanced toward his beloved car, aghast, and Mack laughed.

“Anyway, all of our stuff is on the Zephyr and ready to go, so, we’ll leave you to it.” He winked at Daisy, and she felt the deep blush pool in her cheeks. “Just wanted to say thank you - really, THANK YOU - for everything you’ve done for us. Yesterday was…perfect.” Mack looked down at his wife, and she smiled lovingly up at him.

“It was.” She agreed.

Daisy glanced over at Coulson, rotating her jaw with worry, and the look in his eyes was one of uncertainty.

“I love you, and I’ll see you in a week.” Elena told Daisy, reaching out for a hug. Daisy returned it immediately, but Elena quickly pulled back and furrowed her nose. “Ew, did you just finish working out?”

“Uh,” Daisy croaked, realizing some of Coulson’s perspiration had transferred onto her skin and shirt.

“Or, _working out_ ,” Elena grinned wildly and Daisy grit her teeth together as she blushed all over again.

“Okay, leave them alone,” Mack gently suggested, and Elena lifted her hands in the air innocently, though the quirk of her eyebrows was anything but. “Thanks again for giving me some time with Lola, Coulson. It was amazing.”

Mack and Coulson fondly shook hands and shared a smile before Mack had to half drag Elena away from the other pair. He leaned down and whispered something into her ear as they walked away, and suddenly she seemed very keen to go off with him.

Daisy didn’t want to consider that too much, giving them their privacy; and while they’d only managed to allow her and Coulson to have _some_  of their own, she had to admit that it wasn’t exactly their fault. She’d forgotten that they would be back today.

She and Coulson were left standing in the grass, halfway between Lola and the house, neither of them speaking.

“I, um… I should shower.” Coulson commented, rubbing his empty hand against the back of his neck. He didn’t move yet, though, and Daisy decided firmly that she was not going to let their moment disappear into the void of ‘possible mistakes’.

“I’ll race you.” She commented casually, and began walking back toward the porch. She glanced back toward him as she hopped up the steps, and saw him staring at her as if he hadn’t believed he’d heard her right.

She gave him a tiny grin, and had to turn on her heel and yank the door open as he darted after her.


End file.
